9/3/14

5 Facts about TOKYO TRIBE director SION SONO!

Director SION SONO returns with this year's opening film Toyko Tribe! He's directed some very unique films including Last's years Midnight Madness hit Why Don't You Play in Hell --and Love Exposure, Cold Fish, Suicide Club, and Noriko's Dinner Table to name a few. Sono is a charismatic figure in Japan, with a very interesting personality! Here are some things I would never have guessed about him:

1. When he was a teenager, he was a prolific poet, and was published in several magazines.

2. He has a band called Revolution Q (which originated from one of his movies Love and Peace (coming 2015), and will be participating in a battle of the bands with another band called ART-SCHOOL sept 30th in Tokyo.

3. After being a filmmaker for some time, and even some moderate success he was homeless for 6 months in America. He faced this hardship with a positive attitude, seeking to be enriched by this unique life experience. During this period he drew Japanese Manga Style Portraits at the beach for money.

4. Sono has the actor's touch of gold: in Japan many actors who work with him experience evolved careers, and go on to have great success.

6. His film Suicide Club is a result of him watching American Z-movie indie films, and noticing that as a filmmaker, you don't only have to be traditional--that he can do something crazy. "I was incorrect before, this is ALSO a movie, and I should just make it with this "low level" feeling."

Then he called his friends, and said: "I wanna make Bizarre movies."

And the first film of this new wave was Suicide Club, which went on to win 2001 Fantasia Festival's Grand Jury Prize.